A few days ago, we introduced Junya Ishigami’s Kanagawa Institute of Technology Workshop, a lightweight studio space with an interesting interior due to 305 slender columns. Our friend, Brandon Shigeta, shared his photos with us that illustrate Ishigami’s technique of using column distribution as a space generator. Although the slender columns appear randomly distributed, the architects’ seemingly scattered order has created defined zones that subdivide the large studio workspace.
More images and more about the columns after the break.
Ishigami’s diagrams show his early analysis of creating smaller spaces for different sizes of students. The columns’ randomness soon becomes a functional organizational tool which dictates smaller areas for a single desk, or a large area where groupings of desks or sitting areas can be placed.
This technique allows many students to be designing in one space, yet the building provides ample opportunities for students to collaborate in larger spaces or work individually in more confined areas. By studying the column arrangement and making space with the structural elements, the need for partition walls is eliminated – allowing the studio to maintain its feeling of openness.
All photography from Brandon Shigeta via Flickr.
